Shall we dance?
by Sunstar04
Summary: Jack and Sam at a ball.


**Title: Shall we dance?**

Author: Sunstar

Rating: K

Category: S/J, romance, challenge response

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 belongs to MGM, World Gekko Corporation and Double Secret Productions. I make no profit from this story.

Spoilers: Nothing big, general season 8-10 stuff. (Just people's ranks.)

Content warning: None

Season: 10 or future season

Status: Completed.

Summary: A ball, dancing, beautiful people. Yup, that's about it.

AN: This is a challenge response to challenge number 46 posted on the "As the Stargate turns" group. The challenge was to use the sentence "fly me to the moon" and/or the word "spiral". I've used both.

Big thanks to Vegas Barbie for a super fast beta job:)

Feedback is welcome and hoped (begged) for but please be gentle.

Archive: SJD yes, my site

Copyright (c) 2006 Sunstar

- - - - -

The annual air force ball was in full swing and the dance floor was packed with couples twirling around. All the ladies were dressed in fabulous evening gowns and the men looked dashing in their dress uniforms.

Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter had not had a break all evening. Men were practically waiting in line to get a chance to dance with her. No one could blame them though because Samantha Carter was a stunning sight to behold with her deep blue sparkling eyes, blond hair and gorgeous gown. It matched the colour of her eyes exactly and hugged her upper body in all the right places before widening down and nearly touching the ground.

One of the men keeping an eye on the stunning Colonel was General Jack O'Neill. His eyes were glued to her form moving around the room and his heart skipped a beat every time their eyes met across the crowd and she smiled at him. He ached to be the one to hold her and he felt a prang of jealousy every time a new man asked her to dance. He knew he could just as well go ask her to dance himself but he felt like he didn't have the right. She was obviously enjoying herself and he didn't want to spoil her fun by making her dance with her ex-CO.

"You know, Jack, you _could_ walk over there and ask her to dance. It's obviously killing you to watch her dance with everyone else." A voice suddenly spoke up by his ear.

"Huh! What?" Jack spun around the see General Hammond standing next to him. "General, Sir! Sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"It's George, son, and it's okay. I could see you were preoccupied." Hammond chuckled.

"Umm..hmm, yes, well.." Jack mumbled without knowing what to say.

"So, why don't you?" Hammond asked.

"Why don't I what?" Jack tried playing dumb.

"Go ask her to dance! I know you'd like too! Don't bother to deny it." George huffed frustrated with the man.

"She's having a good time, George! Look at her! She's glowing and laughing! She's happy! I don't want to ruin that for her by making her dance with me." Jack argued. "Besides, shouldn't you be opposed to the idea of me dancing with her? I'm her CO!"

"EX-CO!" Hammond stressed. "And don't be ridiculous! Sam would _love_ to dance with you! I've seen her look at you a thousand times this evening!" George said while rolling his eyes in a way not suited to a General.

"Maybe she's just being polite. Why would she want to dance with an old man like me when she has a whole army of young men to choose from? If you haven't noticed, there's a huge line of men waiting for their turn to dance with her. The night would be over before it was my turn." Jack said quietly.

"Oh, please! Things like that have never stopped you before. You're not the most polite and diplomatic person on Earth! You could just cut to the front of the line or cut in when she's dancing with someone!" George was getting exasperated with Jack's stubbornness. "Are you going to dance with her or not?"

"I'm not, I can't." Jack said sounding slightly defeated.

"Fine! Then I will!" George said and marched away leaving a startled Jack behind.

With his mouth slightly gaping open Jack watched as Hammond headed straight for Sam Carter currently dancing with some airman. He saw Hammond tap the man to the shoulder and say something. Upon seeing the General the young man looked scared and with a quick nod he released his hold on Carter and scurried away leaving the General free to dance with Sam.

Jack watched them dance together for a while. Hammond said something to Sam which made her giggle and smile. Jack knew Hammond was almost like a father to Sam but still he couldn't help the slight twinge of envy he felt. With a sigh he turned his eyes away from the dancing couple and headed towards the double doors leading out of the dance hall.

- - - - -

Samantha Carter was having a marvellous time at the ball! She was flattered by all the attention she was getting from the men and she felt like a princess. Usually she didn't want to be or seem so "girly" but tonight she allowed herself the feeling. It was alright to be a girl and feel like a girl at least once a year. The only thing bringing her mood down was the man she saw leaving the room and going outside to the terrace.

The slightly sad and disappointed look on Sam's face did not go unnoticed by General Hammond. While they were dancing he slowly guided them near the entrance to the gardens and terrace, and stopped when they reached the doors.

"Why don't you go talk to him?" He gently told Sam and gestured her towards Jack who was standing alone at the end of the terrace. "I know he seems withdrawn but he's had his eyes on you the whole evening."

Sam gave him a questioning, slightly uncertain look but Hammond only gave her an encouraging nod and pushed her towards Jack. "Go on, it'll be alright. Trust me. Besides, you could use a break from all of your admirers." He added with a wink and disappeared back inside.

- - - - -

The terrace was quiet compared to the ballroom. The only sounds were the night crickets chirping and the soft sounds of music from inside. Jack was so lost in thought that he didn't hear her approach until she was right behind him.

"Hi" The greeting was quiet and tentative.

Slowly he turned around to face her.

"Hey" he replied letting his eyes rest on her.

For a moment neither of them said a word. They just looked at each other. Jack could not have looked away even if he had wanted to. She looked absolutely breathtaking. The moon and fairy lights reflecting on her skin and hair, made them seem luminescent in the darkness.

"You look beautiful." He whispered, the words escaping without his permission.

She blushed.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, Sir." She said her blush deepening and spreading to her neck.

"No Sirs. It's Jack, remember?" He gently chided her.

"Sorry, old habit." She shrugged.

After another moment of silence she continued quietly. "Jack, are you mad at me for something?"

"What? No! Why would you think that?" He asked shocked.

"Oh, I just… I thought… I've been hoping… I… Guess you just don't want to then." She sighed disappointed.

"Want to what?" He asked confused and slightly concerned moving a bit closer to her.

"Want to… dance, with me. I've been hoping you would ask me all evening." She said looking down.

"You have?" He was stunned speechless.

"Yes." She said lifting her gaze back to his and Jack was surprised to see a faint sheen of tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Sam…" He said taking her hands in his. "Of course I want to dance with you. I've wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms all evening, but I didn't think you would want to dance with me."

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked looking up into his eyes, trying to see through the walls he hid behind.

"Well, I'm… old!… I'm your ex-CO… I'm certainly not as good a catch as the young men in there" He said pointing inside with his head. "And I'm not even that good of a dancer! I don't know any good moves."

"Jack…" She began "I'm not interested in any of the men in there or fancy dance moves. I'm only interested in the man sulking out here." She said with a slight smile.

"I am not sulking!" Jack said indignantly.

"Yes, you are."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Yes, Ma'am."

He wrapped his arms around her just as the band was beginning a new song. Her arms found their way around his neck and she rested her head on his chest. They started swaying to the soft notes carrying from inside.

"_Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars."_

"Been there, done that." Jack spoke in Sam's ear spinning her around.

"_Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars."_

"We _could_ do that too." Jack pretended to ponder making Sam giggle.

"_In other words, hold my hand! In other words, darling, kiss me."_

Neither of them said a word, but both pulled slightly apart so they could see each other better.

"_Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forevermore.  
You are all I long for, all I worship and adore."_

"True." Jack whispered and Sam's fast spiralling word came to a slow halt when Jack slowly dipped her low.

_  
" In other words, please be true! In other words, I love you!"_

Brown eyes locked with blue ones and the distance between them slowly diminished until the world got blurry and time seemed to stop.

"Shall we dance?" He whispered.

"Always."

…..

"Jack"

"Hmm?"

"I like your moves just fine."

The End


End file.
